Thangka paintings created by Luozang Dongzhou from Qinghai Province are on display at Futian Cultural Hall.

A thangka is a Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, or silk applique, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene or mandala. Thangkas are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up when not on display, mounted on a textile backing somewhat in the style of Chinese scroll paintings, with a further silk cover on the front. Most thangkas are relatively small, comparable in size to a Western half-length portrait, but some are extremely large, several meters in each dimension; these were designed to be displayed, typically for very brief periods on a monastery wall, as part of religious festivals. Thangkas are often intended for personal meditation or instruction of monastic students. They often have elaborate compositions including many very small figures. A central deity is often surrounded by other identified figures in a symmetrical composition. Narrative scenes are less common, but do appear.

Dates: Until Aug. 10

Venue: Futian Cultural Hall, 2 Jingtian East Street 1 (景田东一街2号福田区文化馆)

Metro: Line 2 or 9, Jingtian Station (景田站), Exit D

(SD News)